Around sports: NHL suspends Sharks' Torres 41 games

San Jose Sharks' Raffi Torres during an NHL hockey game against the Thursday, Feb 27, 2014, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

San Jose Sharks' Raffi Torres during an NHL hockey game against the...

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was hit with the longest suspension in NHL history for a hit on another player when the league banned him Monday for the first 41 games of the season for an illegal check to the head of Anaheim's Jakob Silfverberg

This marks the fifth and most significant suspension for Torres in his career. His previous longest ban had been a 21-game suspension - initially 25 games - for a high hit on Chicago's Marian Hossa in the first round of the playoffs in 2012, when he played with Phoenix.

Torres has until Wednesday to decide whether to appeal the suspension.

Torres was suspended for the final six games of the playoffs in 2013 with San Jose for a hit to the head against Los Angeles' Jarret Stoll Torres also was suspended for two games in January 2012 for charging Minnesota defenseman Nate Prosser, and he sat out four games in April 2011 for a hit to the head of Edmonton's Jordan Eberle while playing for Vancouver.

Torres will forfeit $440,860 in salary.

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